Callaway Golf’s “Rule 35” Ball Tops The Leaderboard With Victories On The Senior PGA And LPGA Tours
Callaway Golf’s “Rule 35” Ball Tops The Leaderboard With Victories On The Senior PGA And LPGA Tours
May 21, 2001 at 12:00 AM EDT
CONTACT(S): Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, Millie Speirs (760) 931-1771
CARLSBAD, CA., May 21, 2001 – Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) and the “Rule 35™” ball scored another pair of victories on the world's professional tours yesterday. Ed Dougherty used the “Rule 35” Firmfeel™ (red logo) ball to set a scoring record at the TD Waterhouse Championship, while Wendy Doolan also used the Firmfeel model to win the LPGA Champions Classic in a playoff. The “Rule 35” has now been used to win 17 events across the world's five major professional tours combined in 2001, making Callaway Golf the second-winningest golf ball manufacturer this season.
Dougherty and the two players who tied for second – Walter Morgan and Dana Quigley – all used the “Rule 35” Firmfeel ball, giving Callaway Golf balls a sweep of the top three spots on the Senior PGA Tour leaderboard this week. Dougherty's performance was exceptional, as he tied the senior scoring record for a 54-hole event at 22-under-par 194. He birdied the first five holes in each of the first two rounds of the event and completed his 8-stroke victory with a pair of birdies to tie the scoring mark.
Dougherty's win is the second in as many weeks for the “Rule 35” Firmfeel ball on the Senior PGA Tour. Leonard Thompson used the same model to win last week's Enterprise Rent-A-Car Match Play Championship. The “Rule 35” ball has now been used to win five events on the senior tour this year.
In all, 28 golfers at the TD Waterhouse Championship used the “Rule 35” ball. For the season, Callaway Golf is second in golf ball usage on the Senior PGA Tour at 14.9 percent.
Meanwhile, Doolan and Wendy Ward – who used the “Rule 35” Softfeel™ (blue logo) ball – went five playoff holes before Doolan emerged victorious. Doolan birdied the final playoff hole to claim her first victory in six years on tour. One of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, Doolan averaged 291.3 yards in driving distance using the “Rule 35” ball at the LPGA Champions Classic – including a 320-yard blast in the first round.
Six of the top nine finishers at the event used “Rule 35” Firmfeel balls, including Tina Barrett, Annika Sorenstam and A.J. Eathorne. Sorenstam – who has won five times this season using the “Rule 35” Softfeel model – now has nine top-10 finishes in 10 events this season.
The “Rule 35” ball is the winningest ball on the LPGA Tour this season with nine victories. The nearest competitor has three wins. A total of 35 golfers used Callaway Golf balls at the LPGA Champions Classic. Callaway Golf is second in golf ball usage on the LPGA Tour this season at 26.9 percent.
Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha® Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha ERC™ II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Hawk Eye® VFT™ and Big Bertha Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Drivers and Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Steelhead Plus™ Stainless Steel Drivers and Fairway Woods, Hawk Eye Tungsten Injected™ Titanium Irons, Steelhead™ X-14® and Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey® Putters, including White Hot®, TriHot™, and Dual Force® Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf® “Rule 35®” Firmfeel™ and Softfeel™ golf balls, and the CB1™ Red and CB1 Blue golf balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.callawaygolfball.com and www.odysseygolf.com.